Folding pedal for musical instruments.



A. YOUNG.

FOLDING PEDAL FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.8, 1914.

1,164,248. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

AUGUST YOUNG. OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING PEDAL FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 191.5.

Application filed April 8, 1914. Serial No. 830,477.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AroUs'r YoUXo. a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city of New York. county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Pedals for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a folding pedal which is easily shittable from operative to collapsed and from collapsed to operative position and which is steady and firm in its position of use.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side-view oi my improvement, Fig. 2 is a plan-view, showing the same applied to the foot-treadles, Fig. 3 is a side-view in collapsed position, Fig. 4 is a detail view. Fig. 5 is another detail view, and Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of a modification, Fig. 8 represents a side elevation of another form of joint for uniting the upper leg connected with the bellows with the inclined leg carrying the foot.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 1, the well-known bellows 10 are therein shown, which have the fixed part 11. and a movable part 12 hinged at 13. To the fixed part 11 is aflixed a bracket 1-1, to which in turn is pivoted at 15 an upper leg 16, which is provided with a'notch or recess 17 for keeping the foot bar from moving away from the piano, and which at its free end is pivoted by means of the pin 18 to an inclined leg 19. The leg 19 has at its upper end a. projection 20 having a knife-edge 21 which engages the recess 17 of the upper leg 16. The inclined leg 19 has at its other end a foot 22 and is secured near said end to a foot-rail 9 having a bracket-portion 23. The inclined leg 19 rests on this bracket-portion 23, and thereby a secure hold is obtained. To the footrail 9 is secured by means of bolts 26 a forwardly extending clip to which a vertically-inclined treadle-board 28 is hinged by means of the pin 29. The upper or free end of the board or treadle 28 is pivoted to a downwardly-depending rod 30 by means of a pin 31. The lowermost end of the rod 30 is pivotally connected by means of a pin 32 to a curved rod 33, which is secured to the movable of bolts 35.

The knife-edge 21 and recess 17 connection is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein is seen the leg 19 having the projection or knife 20 with the knife-edge 21, said leg 19 extending between two parallel arms 36 and 37 of the leg 16, the latter being provided with recesses or cuts 17. A modified form of this knife action is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, where the inclined leg 19 is provided with the projection 20, but where several knife-edges are provided, one 39 and the other 40, which are so arranged as to engage the legs 41 and 42.

The inclined treadle boards 28 and the links 30 united at their upper ends by conpart 12 of the bellows by means necting pivots 31 constitute pairs of up-.

wardly breaking members which pivotally connect one side of the bellows with the pedal, and the legs 19 united below their upper ends by the connecting pivots 18 with the outer ends of the links 16, constitute another pair of upwardly breaking members which pivotally connect the other side of the bellows with the pedal. The extensions of the legs 19 beyond the pivots 18 carry the blade 21 which engages the notches 17 of the links 16. This engagement serves as a stop for the outward movement of the pedal and operates to hold it stiitly in its position for use without other or adjunctive mechanism. In collapsing, the joints of the members 28 and 30 and the joints of the members 19 and 16 break upward and all these parts swing into collapsed position, lying over the front face of the fixed bellows member.

By the mechanical structure described. a very efficient means is provided for supporting the treadles, and for operating the power bellows, which means, when in extended or operative position, are very secure, and have comparatively little vibration, whereas when in their collapsed or inoperative position, they may be collapsed into comparatively small space. This is accomplished by providing the knife edge conneciton shown in Fig. 1, or the miter connection 45 shown in Fig. 8, which enables the parts to be made of comparatively small length and still resist the force exerted. Also the parts are so arranged that they may be readily brought into collapsible position by means of the foot of the operator entering into the stirrup clearly shown in Fig. 2. Thus, when it is desired to collapse the structure, the operator places his foot in the stirrup 50 of the foot-rail and moves the parts inwardly, whereby the different elements are caused to take the position shown in Fig. 8. W hen it is desired to return these parts into operative position, the foot of the operator engages the stirrup 50 and moves the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, whereby the knife action or the embodiment shown in Jig. 8 prevents the collapse of the members and holds them in the operative position.

I have described an embodiment of my invention, but it is clear that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A folding pedal comprising inclined legs, a foot rail connected at its opposite ends to said inclined legs near the lower ends thereof, links pivoted at their inner ends to the fixed bellows member and at their outer ends to said inclined legs, said legs and links being provided with joint stops, treadle boards pivoted at their lower ends to said foot rail, brackets secured to the movable bellows member and extending downward and forward therefrom beyond the vertical plane of said fixed bellows member, and links connecting said brackets with the upper ends of said treadle boards, the joints of said treadle boards and links and of said legs and links folding upward in collapsing and said legs, treadle boards and links resting over the front face of the fixed bellows member in collapsed position.

2. A folding pedal comprising inclined legs provided on their inner edges near their upper ends with lateral projections, a foot rail connected at its opposite ends to said lower ends to said foot rail, brackets secured to the movable bellows member and extendins; downward and forward therefrom be yond the vertical plane of said fixed bellows member, and links connecting said brackets with the upper ends of said treadle boards, the joints of said treadle boards and links and of said legs and links folding upward in collapsing, and said legs, treadle boards and links resting over the front face of the fixed bellows member in collapsed position.

3. A folding pedal comprising inclined legs, a foot rail connected at its opposite ends to said inclined legs near the lower ends thereof and provided with bracket extensions engaged by said inclined legs,links pivoted at their inner ends to the fixed bellows member and at their outer ends to said inclined legs, said legs and links being pro vided with joint stops cooperating with said inclined extensions to hold the pedal rigid, treadle boards pivoted at their lower ends to said foot rail, and links connecting said treadle boards with the other bellows memher.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST YOUNG.

Witnesses:

F. Hose, Jos. BISBANO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

